Moore back in lineup, Couture a maybe, McLellan out as Sharks get ready for Sabres tonight

Four injured Sharks were on the ice this morning, but the only one that’s penciled into the lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres is Dominic Moore.

And it won’t be Todd McLellan doing the penciling. He will be missing his second game with concussion symptoms after taking that stick to the head during the second period of Sunday’s 4-3 loss in Minnesota. Still no timetable for his return as assistant coach Jay Woodcroft said only that his boss is “getting better every day.”

Back to the players.

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Logan Couture? “Logan made some progress today. He felt a lot better,” Woodcroft said. “It’s going to be a game-time decision.”

Douglas Murray? “I’m really the wrong person to talk to and I’m not saying that because I’m hiding something,” said Murray, who is at the mercy of team doctors because of the freakish nature of a fractured Adam’s apple. “It’s day to day and I hope I’ll be out there soon.”

Marty Havlat? “I don’t,” he said when asked if he had a target date to return as he rehabs from tendon surgery. “Day by day. It’s tough to say exactly the date. I just started (skating). . . Just keep pushing and pushing.”

Havlat stood out because he was wearing a Top Six white jersey at the morning skate, not the usual orange “no contact” gear for players in his situation. That, of course, was only because game-day drills don’t involve contact as players are just loosening up.

Here’s a little more from Murray and Havlat:

***Murray isn’t playing because there’s a danger of swelling in the throat area that could make breathing very difficult. It’s a different sort of problem, but not something he’s chosen to learn a lot about.

“Psychologically, I try not to pay attention to it as much as possible. I just wait until they say I’m ready to play,” he said. “I don’t want to have any hang-ups in my head about things being more dangerous. I put all my faith in the doctors and I trust them that they’ll protect me.

“I don’t want to start thinking about something I don’t need to to effect when I come back and play,” he said. “That’s just how I approach injuries.”

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Murray joked that the doctors threw some Latin terms around that he didn’t understand. Yes, he went to Cornell, but “I wasn’t in pre-med.”

He and the equipment staff are trying to come up with some added protection for his throat. For now, there’s a hard plastic piece extending upward from his shoulder pads.

Would he wear that in games?

“Of course,” he said. “I’ve worn worse things that bother me a lot more than this to protect from injuries. It’s not a problem.”

***Havlat began skating last week, but today was only the second time on the ice that he tested his hamstring surgery with some tight turns on the ice and a few stops and starts.

“Not bad for the first two days,” he said. “I’ve got to get stronger and get used to the movements on the ice, all those quick movements, the stops and starts. That’s the most important in the game and that’s what I have to work on.”

Havlat wasn’t big on timetables when he was recovering from shoulder surgery in September and that hasn’t changed this time around.

“I want to play some games (before the playoffs) and get my game legs,” he said. “We need everybody. Every one of us is important to the team.

As far as his rehab goes, Havlat said, it’s “just keep pushing and pushing. I have to start somewhere and pushing more and more every day.”

I fished for an answer using different bait. Is there an ideal number of games he’d like to play before the post-season?

“I don’t know. One?” he said, smiling. “No, the more the better. You’ve got to get used to it again. It’s like getting ready for a new season. The same situation I was in coming back after shoulder injury. I want to play as many games as I can to get ready.”

Is rehab the most frustrating thing about hockey?

“For sure,” he said. “I can write a book about it, but it is what it is. I have to try and work hard and get back as soon as possible and as strong as possible.”

****The Sharks have made clear we’re not getting any chance to talk with McLellan until he’s ready to go behind the bench again, so no first-hand observations. But here’s what Woodcroft had to say about the head coach’s continued involvement.

“He’s feeling better and Matt and I consult with him every day,” Woodcroft said. “We’re in touch with him, he’s coming into our building and he’s a big part of our game plan.”

And what’s the coaching staff’s level of concern about his situation.

“Like I said, he’s getting better and that’s the primary concern of not only Matt and myself, but the whole organization. . . . I think you saw our team response in the last game. They knew we were missing our leader, but our leadership group in terms of players really stepped up.”

But Woodcroft also kept things in perspective. The two points and the need to get into the playoffs are the prime motivational factors.

“There’s a look in our guys’ eyes right now that they know how important these two points are and they know how important they are on a nightly basis,” he said. “Regardless of who stands behind the bench, they’re committed to go in and getting them.”

*****Moore, who has missed the past four games after leaving the Columbus fiasco shortly after blocking a shot, centered a third line with Tommy Wingels and TJ Galiardi on the wings. But if Couture doesn’t play, Wingels is a candidate to move up to a Top Six slot.

Without Couture, the Sharks could keep Marleau-Pavelski-Winnik together and create another line of Clowe-Thornton-Wingels.

Winnik, by the way, is used to getting Top Six time. In Phoenix, for example, he played with Shane Doan and Peter Mueller.

*****Plan calls for Antti Niemi to start in goal. Buffalo played last night in Anaheim where Ryan Miller shut out the Ducks, 2-0. Miller has gotten way past his earlier struggles, but no official word from the Sabre side as to who will be out there tonight.

*****The Sabres are one of those teams that the Sharks historically have struggled against, but it’s in Buffalo where San Jose is really snakebit. The Sharks are 1-13-1 in Western New York, 6-3-4 at home when the teams meet here.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

Yah Havlat def has to prove himself. I barely even consider him apart of the team. Hes probably an outsider in the locker room. Everyone acts as if Havlat is a given.

MLBSF

Puckace,

The Sharks should spend less time wanting to beat my ass, and more time trying to win a Stanley Cup.

Get better soon Logan

renoshark

If Niemi plays like Jimmy Howard has lately, then we’ll lose for sure.

smkndowntown

Im already sensing the 3rd line of mitchell moore and galliardi is going to the “special needs” line

smkndowntown

and where the hell are all the fans?

I see a bunch of empty seats to a sabres game? sheesh people in the lower bowl sure are snobby. Hmm i have 6th row tickets to the sharks game but im just not gonna go…idiots

smkndowntown

“there ya go christian ehroff” haha

smkndowntown

moore sucks

smkndowntown

damn i wish niemi would come up clutch

Damphousse25

i miss couture already…

Snow Shovel

#91 Sacto – Thanks. They didn’t use that on the planet I came from!

#96 Puckace – I would pay to see it too. In fact, Beer League and I would comp our group if it happened!

NoCupwithDW

@99, I guess you goy your answer, sieve Neimi…

Please, can Neimi have 2 good games in a row? How about a clutch save to energize his teammates.

Beer League

Snow Shovel,
I’ll bring the Pliny’s!

SactoShark

SS Comes from complimentary..as in compliments of the house or….as in:

If Logan was really my sexting buddy, he would of comp’ed me tickets by now so I could have watched my first hockey game ever

NoCupwithDW

phx loses 4-2. come on Sharks, 1st place is yours for th etaking

MLBSF

For one thing I don’t sext with Logan.

Also, this already terrible offensive team is just a disaster without Logan on the ice.

When was the last time they scored? Something like four periods ago?

Is Marleau on the team still or did he get traded on Monday?

NoCupwithDW

MLBSF,

Doug Wilson was reading this blog and decided you were right, so he traded Marleau and Thornton.

Beer League

The camera angle looks a little high, now that I’m looking for it. They have used the camera behind the net.

Buddy Elf

LOL @ MLBSF still not understanding NMC.

This is my shocked face.

Snow Shovel

#112 Sacto – That’s funny, the sexting and first hockey game ever!

NoCupwithDW

Buddy,

didn’t you hear, Marleau waived his no movement clause to go to columbus in exchange for goaltender chris mason and a 7th round pick in the 2014 draft.

Rose

I want the Sharks to roast me some buffalo meat!!

SactoShark

All the new boys definitely know where Marleau is on the ice!

Oh to have Miller…….

Rose

Count me as showing up Snow

jutout

A little late…but a 100th consecutive sell-out of HP? Wow! Congrats to the Sharks organization.

Good time to give back, too, right now, Sharkies

How about a game free of charge for the fans, on a ‘first-come, first-serve’ ticket basis?

And for those fans who don’t make it, you could still have an outdoor sale with premium Sharks Hockey gear for a discounted price.

Either way, congratulations to a 100th consecutive sell-out of HP. It reflects the value of the product you put out. In other words, it’s well liked and in demand.

SactoShark

Marleau has been a beast tonight

SactoShark

its the 99th dude, not the 100th

SactoShark

Thornton was once the ice for nearly 4 minutes straight..where’s the coaching

MLBSF

What is more hilarious?

Sacto’s sexting comment or the the lack of scoring firepower that makes up this Sharks roster?

Rose

GAAAAH!!! MILLER!!!

smkndowntown

Marleau is has actually been the best player on the ice tonight

smkndowntown

Ugh Pavelski has not been looking good though

smkndowntown

man how dissappointing

smkndowntown

Thornton is so bad in the final seconds of the game always

smkndowntown

Man Thornton is replacing Marleau as the player who doesnt show up to games

Rose

Huge huge sigh

Martin Brody

Poetic justice after deleting my posts…atta boy Cody.

Teejay

One goal over two games isn’t going to win many hockey games.

smkndowntown

If im doug wilson, Thorntons play lately has got to be concerning. The passes he used to make just dont happen anymore. He doesnt shoot and when he does he misses and it rims all the way around the ice during a power play

Rose

So disappointing, especially since we could have gone up a game on Phoenix. Can’t fault them for lack of effort. They totally out chanced them and they showed heart, imo.

Teejay

Give Miller credit for being almost unconscious at times, but I still say that the sharks can make ANY opposing goalie look good.

Teejay

I’ll echo the comments that Thornton just isn’t cutting it lately.

SCSharksFan

how crappy was that… a turnover in the first period on a ill advised pass by Burns and the game is over… I had a bad feeling right then… knowing how “hot” Miller has been… not to mention Randy and his notes on the Sharks record versus BUF… jinx…

funny Randy and Drew were even joking about their jinx trying to use the “shutout” on Miller… i think it was a reverse jinx… it’s their fault the Sharks lost!

Teejay

And Clowe? I think they should put him on the Woosta Shuttle.

homer

Usually the Sharks make average goalies look like all-stars. At least tonight they made a good goalie look good. I guess that’s an improvement…

Also, what’s up with Pavs this year? Not looking as good as past seasons.

MLBSF

smkndowntown says:
March 1st, 2012 at 9:59 pm

If im doug wilson, Thorntons play lately has got to be concerning.
——

Dude you’re talking to a wall.

I have been criticizing Thornton constantly since that embarrassing miss against Philly.

And of course, I have been saying he needs to go along with Marleau for many months now.

But anytime you point out how bad they play, and how they are hurting the team, the pollyannas respond with a comment how they are under NMC’s.

That’s their retort to everything.

SCSharksFan

Homer – i agree on Pavs… something must be up with him… injury? He’s looking slower than Clowe at times and has not been handling the puck all that great…

But he did have an awesome drop pass on the doorstep for Jumbo and he didn’t see it… i cringed at that lost chance…

cutch

This team … when the offense is scoring the defense is pathetic … and when the defense is rock solid, the offense can’t the puck in the ocean from the beach … never-ending cycle of mediocrity

SCSharksFan

What’s up with Brodie asking if players think they “deserved” a win tonight… no win is deserved, it’s earned… duh?

SCSharksFan

Anybody see the ‘highlight” of Seto falling down on the shootout tonight?

Poor guy… ties the game to go into OT and then blows a tire on the shootout attempt… you know his cell phone is gonna be blowing up with texts from all his “pals”…